Into the Tank

Quarterback James Franklin leads Mizzou past Toledo 38-23

Story by Ryan GavinPhotos by Naveen MahadevanPublished Sept. 9, 2013

Marching Mizzou trumpets and the Golden Girls lead off with the traditional pregame show. Marching Mizzou added a new set this year, forming the Columns before transitioning to the famous Flip Tigers drill.

The football team takes the field before the game. It was the first time for the Tigers to wear the uniform combination of anthracite jerseys with gold pants.

Truman the Tiger cools off the crowd of 56,785 fans who fought through the heat for a second consecutive week. The temperatures on the field topped 130 degrees.

Tigers Lair and the MU student section gets fired up before kickoff. Mizzou received the ball to start the game.

Cheerleaders strike a pose early, encouraging the crowd to get loud. Mizzou jumped out to an early lead and didn’t look back.

Running back Henry Josey lines up in the Mizzou backfield while Toledo players stare him down. Josey scored a touchdown for the second consecutive week.

Cheerleaders celebrate a Tiger touchdown with the running of the flags across the field.

Defensive lineman Markus Golden plows through the line, breaks up a pass and picks the ball off en route to a 70-yard touchdown. It was Golden’s first career interception and led to him being named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week.

The Tigers celebrate a score in the endzone as a cheerleader bears the Mizzou banner. The Tigers never trailed in a 38-23 win over Toledo.

Quarterback James Franklin scans his receivers as L’Damian Washington works through the Toledo secondary. The two would connect for five receptions, a career high for Washington.

Franklin powers through Toledo defenders on one of his 17 carries in the game. He would gain 77 yards rushing, his most since Mizzou’s 2011 bowl win over North Carolina.

Tight end Eric Waters nearly catches a third-down pass from Franklin but bobbles the ball on the way out of bounds. Franklin would throw for more than 200 yards for the 13th time in his career.

Running back Marcus Murphy breaks free on one of his eight carries in the game. He would score the game’s final points, putting Mizzou up 38-23 with a eight-yard touchdown run with 10:29 left in the game.

Defensive lineman Kony Ealy corrals Toledo quarterback Terrance Owens. The Tigers held the Rockets to just two touchdowns and intercepted him three times.

Toledo punter Vince Penza kicks the final punt of the game for the Rockets. The Tigers took over with 5:30 left in the game and would not relinquish the ball.

The Golden Girls line up for the university’s alma mater “Old Missouri” after the final whistle. The Tigers won 38-23 and moved to 2-0 this season.

With Saturday's game against Toledo staying close far longer than the Tiger fans thought, Mizzou quarterback James Franklin put the team on his back. Or his broad shoulders, to be more precise.

On one of his 17 rushes, Franklin raced up the sideline. As the defender closed on him, Franklin lowered his shoulder and knocked the Rocket on his rear. After the game, he was all smiles.

“I like to throw a shoulder every now and then,” Franklin said. “It's always a last minute decision, but it's pretty cool. … I think it helps out a lot, I mean obviously anytime there's a big gain, the team gets amped up.”

Franklin racked up 289 total yards in the game, 212 passing and 77 rushing. It pushes his career total to 6,408 yards, moving him past the stellar Corby Jones (6,230 yards from 1995-98) into sixth place in career total offense at Mizzou. Barring disaster, Franklin will supplant No. 5 Phil Bradley (6,458 yards from 1977-80) in Mizzou's next game.

Franklin wasn't alone in making big plays on Saturday. Mizzou's defensive secondary again stepped up, intercepting three passes for the second time this season. Safety Matt White, lineman Markus Golden and safety Ian Simon all recorded their career firsts in crucial situations.

White picked Toledo quarterback Terrance Owens off in the end zone, preventing a Rockets touchdown just before halftime. Golden made a beautiful play, driving through the line to deflect Owens' pass, grab it out of the air and then take it 70-yards for a touchdown. Simon sealed the game with his interception on Toledo's final possession.

With six picks this year, the Tigers are just one shy of last year's season total. The interceptions bring Mizzou's consecutive games streak with a turnover forced to 32, the longest active streak in the country.

Up next, Mizzou (2-0) travels to Big Ten country to play Indiana in Bloomington. The game kicks off at 7 p.m. Central and will air on the Big Ten Network. Coach Gary Pinkel, third all time in wins with the Tigers with 92, will tie legendary coach Dan Devine (1958-70) with a win. The all-time leader is Don Faurot, who compiled 101 wins from 1935-42 and 1946-56.